


Ulterior Motives

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Fluff, Het, Rare Pair, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8849902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Joe has an ulterior motive for inviting Caitlin to a West Family Winter Tradition.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme: free for all  
> Prompt: The Flash, Caitlin Snow/Joe West, They go ice skating.  
> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/773429.html?thread=101008949#t101008949

"I can't believe you've never done this before." 

His ice skates already tied, Joe stood and looked down at Caitlin who was making more than a meal of tying her own. Relief had made his voice sound more amused than he had meant it to and he felt vaguely guilty at the narrow-eyed look she shot him. In truth, he'd just been happy to find out that Caitlin's trepidation all week had had little to do with the fact that this was her first time taking part in a West Family Winter Tradition since their relationship had taken a new and unexpected - and as far as Iris and Barry were concerned, a little unwelcome - turn, and more to do with the actual activity itself. 

How the hell did someone with ice cold powers, of all things, not know how to ice skate?

Shaking his head, he sat back down on the bench beside her, patted both hands on his knees. "Let me help you with that." Obediently, she swung one foot up - carefully, thank goodness - and he set to his task, enjoying the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks and the tiny smile hovering around her lips. "How many degrees you have and you still can't work this out?" 

He was teasing and that's how she took it, laughing softly as she shook her head. "None of them are in any kind of sport," she pointed out to him. "You're looking at someone who barely passed phys ed."

Memories of Barry's high school life came back to him and he had no trouble believing it. Still though, maybe that augured well. "Barry too," he said, jutting his chin towards the ice where Barry and Iris were skating side by side, Iris sure and steady on her feet, Barry a little less so but nowhere near as Bambi like as he used to be. "Look at him now." 

Caitlin laughed again, this time more in disbelief. "After years of practice," she pointed out. "You guys do this every year?"

One lace tied, he lifted her leg from his knees, watched as she flexed her foot and made an impressed face. Patting his knees again, she swung up her other foot and he nodded as he answered her question. "Francine started it when Iris could barely walk, never mind skate. When she was growing up, she used to idolise Tai Babilonia..." He stopped talking, stopped tying her lace to glance over at her. "You have no idea who that is, do you?"

Smiling, looking adorably nonplussed, Caitlin shook her head. "An ice skater?"

Joe didn't roll his eyes at the obvious guess, but it was a close run thing. Knowing that he was probably about to fall head first into their generation gap, he continued, "World champion in pairs skating. First ever African Amercian to go to the Winter Olympics." Caitlin looked impressed. "Then, about a year before she got pregnant with Iris, Debi Thomas becomes the first African American woman to win an ice skating Olympic medal." He shrugged. "So Francine wanted Iris to learn how to skate, so that's what we did. Every year. And then..." He sighed. "Then the drugs took over and she left... but it was still one of the things we did in winter, no matter how lousy things were... then Barry came along, and you know the rest." 

He'd finished tying the lace midway through the story but hadn't moved her leg, or his hands. One of her hands closed over them now and when he looked at her, there was sympathy in her eyes, on her face. Sympathy, and something else too. "Thank you for including me." 

He shrugged, smiled. "You're part of the family, you know that." She did, but she looked pleased to hear it anyway and he grinned as he leaned forward, brushed his lips against hers. "Besides, I do have an ulterior motive..."

Caitlin lifted an eyebrow. "Oh really? What would that be?"

Joe set her foot down, stood up and pulled her to her feet. Even on solid ground, she wobbled a little, her hand tightening on his. "Well, up until a few minutes ago, I just thought it was a good excuse to hold your hand without my kids stroking out," he told her and she chuckled, obviously getting where he was going with this. 

"And now you realise you get to have your arm around my waist, because you're going to be literally holding me up?" 

Joe grinned and, kids or no kids, skates or no skates, pulled her in for another kiss. "Yep," he said. "Even better."


End file.
